POCATELLO — The city of Pocatello has finalized an exchange with local landowners Gary and Jennie Ratliff to preserve public access to the popular rock-climbing area “Sunny Side,” located near South Second Avenue.

This exchange was originally planned back in March during a City Council meeting, according to a news release from the city.The goal is to protect outdoor recreation areas.

“This is an important step in ensuring that outdoor recreation and public access to climbing routes are protected for generations to come,” Pocatello Senior Planner Matthew Lewis said in the news release.

The exchanged property from the city was located near the composting area around Second Avenue.The Ratliff property includes four to five rock-climbing routesand a key foot-trail used for rope setup.

The city expressed gratitude to the Ratliffsfor their collaborationand their willingness to work with the city staff on this exchange. They demonstratedtrue community spirit and a shared dedication to preserving outdoor recreation in Pocatello.

This project highlights the importance of community partnerships in protecting public spaces and recreational assets. The city looks forward to collaborating with landowners to improvingrecreation that will build a stronger community.

The city partnered with Sunrise Engineering to complete surveying, boundary definitionsand legal descriptions.{/span}{/span}{p class=”Paragraph SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}{span class=”TextRun SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”auto”}Thierry Legrain, President of the East Idaho Climbers Coalition, or EICC, said the climbing area near Ross Park and the Pocatello Zoo is used by many people in the community.{/span}{p class=”Paragraph SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}{span class=”TextRun SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”auto”}”Idaho State University uses it during their open climb,” Legrain said. “It’s also used by hikers. There’s an old hiking trail up there.”{/span}{p class=”Paragraph SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}{span class=”TextRun SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”auto”}Legrain and everyone at EICC expressed gratitude to the city of Pocatello for making this exchange.{/span}{p class=”Paragraph SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}{span class=”TextRun SCXW89412414 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”auto”}”We’re grateful to the city for trying to enhance the climbing at Ross Park and the Sunny Side and the Shady Side,” Legrain said. “Climbing in Pocatello is a valuable asset.”{/span}{/div}